Deliberations in the case of a man accused of trying to kill his professional boxer wife began Friday morning.

Click Like For Central Florida News Updates:

Advertisement

Christy Martin, who now uses the name Christy Salters, was hospitalized after her husband, James Martin, 68, attacked her in November 2010, according to investigators with the Orange County Sheriff's Office. He faces attempted murder charges.

Salter's told the jury on Tuesday that she begged her husband to call 911, but managed to escape their Apopka home.

Rick Cole was passing by the Martin home in his car when she flagged him down.

Cole told the jury he was shocked at the extent of Salter's injuries.

"I've never seen anything like that on a person before," said Cole. "It kind of didn't look real. This is going to sound stupid but it looked like part of a pot roast or something. The whole back of her calf was just opened up."

Cole said as he drove Salters to the hospital she kept apologizing for bleeding all over his vehicle.

Edwin LeBaron was another motorist who stopped to help Salters. LeBaron told the jury that Martin came out of the couple's home wearing nothing but his underwear, but said nothing to him.

The jury also saw crime scene pictures of the couple's bloody bedroom, a gun-shell casing, a sink with a bloody paper towel, drops of blood on the tile, Salter's bloody Blackberry and pictures of Martin after he was arrested wearing a hospital gown with a massive cut on his hand.

On Tuesday, Salters took the stand and testified about the violent attack, as well as her relationship with Martin. Salters called her husband the puppet master of her boxing career and that he also got her hooked on cocaine.

"Because I was so miserable in my day-to-day life I felt like the use of cocaine was the only way I could make it," said Salters.

Salters said by 2010 she was broke and said she was tired of living a lie about her relationship.

The opening statements began on Tuesday with emotional testimony from Salter's partner, Sherry Jo Lusk.

"I can't always forget the sight of her leg being laid open," said Lusk. "The flesh just laying there and we couldn't get to it because they were doing life-saving measures at the time. The doctors were trying to work on her at the time and still couldn't stabilize her. They thought she was dying."

Salters is represented by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred.

"This is the fight of her life and this is the fight that matters the most," Allred said.

Investigators said Martin stabbed and shot his wife when she told him she was in love with another woman.

"I realized he had stabbed me when he stabbed me the fourth time in my left breast and the blood just gushed out," said Salters.

Investigators said Salters suffered three stab wounds to the chest and was slashed in the leg. She also suffered a gunshot wound to her back from her own pink gun.

"DNA was taken from the grip handle of the gun and that DNA matches Jim Martin," said prosecutor Ryan Vescio.

The jury saw the bloody T-shirt used to try to stop bleeding, complete with knife holes. Salters said Martin walked into the room again after stabbing her and shot her with her pink 9mm gun.